Michigan Unions Targeted Obama Enemy: Koch Brothers

In a briefing for reporters on Aug. 27, 2010, an anonymous senior administration official singled out Koch Industries for condemnation and implied the company was cheating on its taxes. When those who have the power of the Internal Revenue Service keep mentioning your name, it is intended to send a message.

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina wrote a letter to Philip Ellender, Koch Industries' president for government and public affairs, demanding that the conservative, pro-capitalism Americans for Prosperity disclose its donor list.

"While President Obama and Messina demand lists of our supporters so they can broaden their attacks to include more private American citizens, AFP protects the identity of donors precisely because of the type of intimidation, smears and vindictive personal attacks repeatedly launched by the president's team on those who disagree with their big government agenda," AFP responded in a news release.

Encouraged by Obama administration rhetoric, the Michigan union thuggery is reminiscent of the tactics of smear and intimidation taught by community organizer and Barack Obama mentor Saul Alinsky to demonize and intimidate your political enemies.

Politics: The union mob that tore down that tent outside the Michigan state capitol was aiming at a free-market advocacy group on the president's enemies list promoting right-to-work and other pro-growth measures.

In an editorial headlined "Drinking the Kochs' Kool-Aid," the Detroit Free Press, a newspaper in a decaying city with 18.9% unemployment, opined it was pressure from the Koch brothers, David H. and Charles G., who head a Kansas-based conglomerate with 50,000 U.S.-based employees, that moved Michigan Republicans to make the state adopt right-to-work legislation.

Randy Richardville, majority leader of the state Senate, and Gov. Rick Snyder may have been pressured, the newspaper said, by Americans for Prosperity, whose tent full of seniors and women was torn down by union thugs Tuesday, and pressed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), both financially backed by the Koch brothers. ALEC's model right-to-work bill, it said, "mirrors the Michigan law word-for-word."

Agreeing that Michigan becoming the 24th right-to-work state was a triumph by the vast right-wing conspiracy was the president of the AFL-CIO. "Gov. Snyder showed his true colors today," said Richard Trumka.

"He's a puppet of extreme donors, and he is willing to ignore and lie to his constituents. His action will undoubtedly please the Koch brothers and corporate CEOs, but it will diminish the voice of every working man and woman in Michigan."

Never mind that the working men and women of Michigan in November defeated a proposition supported by the United Auto Workers to write collective bargaining rights into the state constitution. The proposition was voted down 58% to 42%. Snyder, Richardville, et al. were merely translating the wishes of Michiganders who chose growth over union power in state law.

The destruction of the AFP tent by union thugs was no accident, no outpouring of spontaneous passion by a flash mob. Its destruction sent a deliberate message to AFP, the Koch brothers and anyone else who dares to support free-market economics at the expense of union power.

The Kochs and AFP have long been targets of the Obama administration. In a 2010 speech, President Obama made a thinly veiled reference to the duo, describing the nonprofit organization David Koch founded, Americans for Prosperity, as part of "a corporate takeover of our democracy."

Union takeover of democracy is OK, of course, as is mob action, including felonious assault and destruction of private property.

In a letter that went out to supporters during the campaign, Team Obama said the Koch brothers "make millions by jacking up prices at the pump and ... bankrolled Tea Party extremism and committed $200 million to try to destroy President Obama before Election Day."

In a briefing for reporters on Aug. 27, 2010, an anonymous senior administration official singled out Koch Industries for condemnation and implied the company was cheating on its taxes. When those who have the power of the Internal Revenue Service keep mentioning your name, it is intended to send a message.

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina wrote a letter to Philip Ellender, Koch Industries' president for government and public affairs, demanding that the conservative, pro-capitalism Americans for Prosperity disclose its donor list.

"While President Obama and Messina demand lists of our supporters so they can broaden their attacks to include more private American citizens, AFP protects the identity of donors precisely because of the type of intimidation, smears and vindictive personal attacks repeatedly launched by the president's team on those who disagree with their big government agenda," AFP responded in a news release.

Encouraged by Obama administration rhetoric, the Michigan union thuggery is reminiscent of the tactics of smear and intimidation taught by community organizer and Barack Obama mentor Saul Alinsky to demonize and intimidate your political enemies.

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